Winter Whale Watching in WA is well underway as hundreds of Humpbacks make their migration through Augusta with competition pods, social bachelor males and chilled escort pods taking over Flinders Bay. Throughout the day we enjoyed the company of many different pods including a rather boisterous competition pod this morning with three males charging after each other in hopes of impressing the female. There are currently many bachelor pods moving through the sighting grounds over the last couple of days and these boys are often curious, social and with spare time on their hands love to interact with other pods. The local Bottlenose Dolphins were busy on both our morning and afternoon tour as they seemed to have full bellies and were in a move to play!
The afternoon sighted a lovely pod of two very curious bachelor males and all of the local dolphins as they rolled and played together in the afternoon sunshine before the boys came over for a closer look at all of our Pod Members onboard. There was plenty of surface communication throughout the day as the Language of the Whales was on display with breaching, head lunges and tail lobs around with a few great displays of pec slapping as well from the more social pods. It was fantastic to sees many happy Humpback Whales with well over one hundred individuals observed moving through Flinders Bay today. The fun has only just begun as winter whale watching in WA has settled into the busy season for the northern migration with hundreds of whales passing by each and everyday.
Humpback whales are awe-inspiring giants of the ocean, renowned for their breathtaking acrobatics and complex vocalisations. These majestic creatures can grow up to 16 meters long and weigh as much as 45 tons, yet they are known for their graceful movements as they propel themselves skywards in breaching and head lunges. Humpback whales undertake one of the longest migrations of any mammal, traveling thousands of kilometres from their feeding grounds in polar waters to tropical breeding areas. Their presence is a testament to the wonders of marine life and the intricate balance of ocean ecosystems.
